(a) (1) The Employment Development Department, in consultation with the State Department of Social Services, shall administer regional collaborative program selection and funding under the Caregiver Training Initiative.

(2) The Employment Development Department, in conjunction with the State Department of Social Services, shall establish and lead a work group that shall be responsible for staff support to the advisory committee established pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 11020.

(3) The Employment Development Department, in conjunction with the State Department of Social Services, shall be responsible for all of the following:

(A) Under the direction of the California Health and Human Services Agency, developing the criteria for regional collaborative programs, the number of staff to be assigned to regions, and the process for selecting regional collaborative programs to be funded.

(B) Assigning staff to each region to assist in developing collaborative programs consisting of partnerships and proposals for funding.

(C) Determining the date by which collaborative programs from each region shall submit their proposals for consideration.

(D) Selecting the collaborative program proposal from each region that best meets the criteria established by the department.

(E) Working with representatives from the health care provider and caregiver industries and labor, negotiating contract terms that best serve the initiative’s goals.

(F) Approving all contracts for participation under the initiative.

(G) Distributing funds to the appropriate local agencies to commence the regional collaborative programs.

(H) Providing staff support to the advisory council established under subdivision (c) of Section 11020.

(I) Carrying out state-level activities identified by the department that are necessary for the initiative’s success.

(b) The Employment Development Department, in conjunction with the State Department of Social Services, shall evaluate or contract for the evaluation of the regional collaborative programs funded under the initiative. The evaluation of each program site funded under the initiative shall include the following elements:

(1) A thorough assessment of implementation issues faced by grantees.

(2) An analysis, using appropriate statistical techniques, of identified outcomes of interest, including employment retention, advancement, earnings, and worker well-being measures.

(3) Annual population-based surveys of current and former CalWORKs recipients as they enter training programs and make choices about employment or subsequent job change.

(4) Identification and collection of well-being data regarding health care providers and caregivers and the recipients of their care.

(5) Construction and analysis of longitudinal administrative data.

(6) In-depth interviews with workers, staff, health care providers, and caregivers.

(c) The Employment Development Department shall develop a strategy to improve understanding of the demand and supply of labor, and the labor market dynamics for low-skilled workers who choose occupations such as certified nurse assistants. To develop the strategy, the department shall develop information about and analyze all of the following:

(1) Alternative occupations competing for available labor.

(2) The effect of conditions in other occupations using similar skill sets on the supply of labor in occupations related to health care providers and caregivers.

(3) Occupational ladders for health care providers and caregivers.

(4) The efforts by county welfare departments to increase interest in the health care provider and caregiver industry.

(5) Factors that draw individuals into or push them away from entering the health care provider or caregiver industry.

(6) Ways that nursing homes, long-term care facilities, and in-home care provider communities can improve the quality of employment of health care providers and caregivers.

(7) The treatment of staff in nursing homes and long-term care facilities.

(8) Worker compensation claims and claims of workplace violence due to patients with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.

(9) Benefit packages.

(10) On-the-job training for career advancement as a health care provider or caregiver in nursing homes or long-term care facilities or advancement in fields related to an occupation as a health care provider or caregiver.

(Added by Stats. 2000, Ch. 108, Sec. 18.4. Effective July 10, 2000.)